In the field of shoemaking, searching for technical solutions is a topic of high interest, not only for users' new shoes and accessories, but also for developing new manufacture, distribution and product sales strategies.
Unequal wear between the right and left shoes that compose a pair of shoes is a common problem due to several factors that may be mentioned during its use. However, market demand for a pair of shoes is much higher than the demand for one of the sides of the pair (right or left), so that when a customer has only one of the sides of the pair worn out, he/she is obliged to purchase a new full pair.
Currently, shoes are commonly sold in pairs, so that one interested in purchasing only one of the sides of the pair, that is, only the right or only the left, is obliged to purchase new full pair to replace the side of interest.
Additionally, a user that does not primarily need a pair of shoes, for example, a handicapped user who does not have one of the feet, is also obliged to purchase a pair of shoes instead of having the possibility to purchase only the shoe side of interest.
Additionally, in general, the sale of shoes is limited to physical and online stores; in the first case, it is necessary to pay for expenses such as public attendance location, qualified personnel to sell and manage the store, in addition to expenses related to the storage and marketing of the products for sale. Regarding online stores, they require expenses for maintenance, update, security and advertisement of the online store website, in addition to expenses related to the storage and marketing of the products for sale. High expenses make physical and online stores (not only shoe stores) to raise the product prices to the final customer, aiming to guarantee its profit margin. In some cases, this fact directly affects the sales considering a product demand, and, in general, it is inversely proportional to the product price.
As an alternative to reduce and control the expenses, stores tend to replenish their stocks in large lots; this strategy impacts the freight price, however, it is necessary to perform this operation using large vehicles, such as box trucks and/or truck-trailers.
Thus, efficient interface means are constantly sought that offer at the same time a larger variety of options to the customer and further facilitates the distribution and logistics among everyone involved in the products manufacturing, sale and delivery chain, for example, manufacturing sites and distribution centers, distribution centers and stores, stores and customer, distribution centers and customer, etc.
When searching prior art in scientific and patent literatures, the following documents regarding this theme were found:
WO 2008/109660 discloses a shoe article to be worn on the right foot and on the left foot. In one aspect of WO 2008/109660, the shoe article comprises an upper including an inner region configured to adjust to the right foot and to the left foot, and an insert also configured to adjust to the right foot and to the left foot, where the insert is made of a deformable material offering side and central support to the foot during use. However, WO 2008/109660 suggests the application of an insert in order to accommodate the user foot (which adjusts both to the right foot and the left foot) and further comprises an inner front portion disclosing a void region so that both the user right foot and left foot may fit inside the upper of the present invention. Said void region or recess existing in the prior art shoe causes discomfort and lack of firmness to the user since the user foot may move inside the upper. The existing clearance causes the lack of firmness when fixing the shoe to the user foot and may not only cause discomfort, but it is also inconvenient when wearing the shoe while walking or running. Thus, the present invention proposes a solution completely different from that of WO 2008/109660, since WO 2008/109660 does not seek to solve the problem regarding distribution logistics and the possibility of selling only one article of footwear for replacement purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,386,074 refers to a products vending machine comprising: a housing for storing the product with a support structure; a plurality of supports fixed to the support structure for all products; a plurality of RFID sensors, being one for each type of product support; a payment means; a display for the product; and a computer control system. Said solution, however, comprises a complex structure requiring more than one type of display as communication interface with the customer, as well as more than one type of support, in addition to not allow the shoe sale, the machine of said document being limited to shoe accessories. Further, said document does not disclose a solution to control the stock of said shoes vending machine.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,317,965 refers to a vending machine and shoe manufacturing, more specifically sandals. The machine disclosed in said document comprises: a compartment for sandal soles having a plurality of soles; a compartment for uppers having a plurality of uppers; a size selection means, so that the user select the sole size and the upper size; a payment means; a mechanism for assembling the upper on the selected sole; and a means for ejecting the assembled shoe for the user. Said solution, however, does not disclose a solution for shoes not comprising assemblable parts, not even shoes consisting in a single layer. Additionally, said document does not disclose a solution to control the stock of said shoes vending machine.
Thus, from what is understood in the searched literature, no documents anticipating or suggesting the teachings of the present invention were found, so that the solution proposed herein is provided with novelty and inventive activity when compared to the prior art.
Thus, it is evident the need of shoes and related systems that offer more versatile options to the customer and, at the same time, simplify the distribution logistics chain of the shoemaking industry.